Let them Bake Cakes

In effort to improve my sewing skills, I did a little handmade giving this holiday season. I decided to purchase a pattern, and interpret it—without the guidance and sewing wisdom of my mother!

So, to incorporate my love of cooking and desserts, with an full-hearted attempt at sewing, I found this awesome Hot Cakes Oven Mitt Pattern from UnderCoverQuilts on Etsy. 

It was a great choice for a first attempt. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, the steps were not overly complicated, and the piece was overall easy to assemble and replicate in assembly line fashion. 

In all, I made over a dozen cupcake potholders, the first three being practice before I was willing to gift them! Several went to coworkers, family and friends while others were paired with hand-painted wooden spoons for "themed" gifts. And as it turns out, they are transitioning seasons nicely, and I'm continuing to produce them for sweet Valentine's day gifts. 

I consider this a successful attempt at taking my sewing skills to the next level. And I'm eager to find an opportunity soon to step it up a little more with another sewing project!

Burger of the Week #94

Today's burger is part of an exhibition for Canadian graffiti artist Viktor Briestensky. It showcases the raw ingredients of a burger within a plexi structure. 

I find it slightly disturbing, though honestly not as disturbing as some of the other things on Briestensky's site.

Calling Cinderellas Everywhere

My mother likes to tell me that when she saw my Barbie shoes laying around, she took satisfaction in vacuuming them up. She hated the ridiculous little shoes that never stayed on Barbie's over-arched, plastic feet. 

But here I am, 20+ years later, still enthralled with tiny shoes. I found these miniature shoes made from polymer clay by YingyingO on Etsy.

The 24-year-old Brooklyn artist (originally from Shanghai China) understands women's fascination with shoes. She designs her collection of miniatures so we can collect all kinds of beautiful shoes, regardless of what we actually wear day to day.

Each shoe is about 1.5 inches tall. They are beautiful in their precise detail, and absolute miniatureness! 

Growing Up and Coming Back

They're making a comeback. In addition to their Surface tablet and the new Windows phone, Microsoft has released a video for the recently revamped Internet Explorer that takes us on an amusing amble down memory lane.  

The choice of [my childhood] throwbacks in correlation to technology advancements is an absolute delight. I was cheering inside as I reminisced.

"You might not remember us, but we met in the '90s... We are members of Generation Y. As in Ying Yang, yo-yo ... life moved a little slower. Disks were square, desktop folders had personality and extra storage space was just a zipper away. There was only one social network, but most of your friends died of dysentery." 

The ad concludes with a beautiful little bow and a tempting invitation, "The future was bright... You grew up ... so did we. Reconnect with the new Internet Explorer."

This ad worked, hitting me right in the sweet spot. I love nostalgia– I love slap bracelets, and pogs, and trolls, and hungry hippos, and Lisa Frank... pretty much everything in that ad except for fanny packs (though on countless occasions I've thought privately how convenient they would be...).

It's an ad for the people that grew up with the internet. And I have no doubt that many of them will take a second look at Explorer. But first, I'm pretty sure they're going to google Lisa Frank and mourn the day their mother threw out their pog collection. 

Travel Talk in the Land of Delight

Check out this documentary from 1949, called Roaming through Michigan. The 8 minute film was paart of a James FitzPatrick's "Travel Talks" series. It includes footage of Sleeping Bear Dunes, Mackinac Island, Traverse City, Leelanau and as well as other places.
The film is full of fun Michigan history, here's some of my favorites:
• Native Americans named the northern Michigan region Leelanau, meaning Land of Delight
• The 5 mile stretch of dunes on Lake Michigan were the World's largest moving sand dunes
• Glen Lake was considered one of the 4 most beautiful lakes in the World because of the constantly changing colors

James FitzPatrick was an American director specializing in travel films from the 1920s through '50s. These short documentaries were often shown on Turner Classic Movies channel prior to the broadcast of movies. His Travel talks series is notable for preserving city and landscapes before they were swallowed up by chains and skyscrapers.

Burger of the Week #93

Two very mini burgers that I was given for Christmas – a tiny burger pill pouch and a burping double whopper key charm. Boy do my friends know me or what!?!

Revisiting Roald Dahl

While perusing the literary stamps honoring Dickens, I stumbled across stamps for another British author–Roald Dahl, and I suddenly remember watching the Witches as a child and being absolutely terrified. 20 years later, the memory made me shudder–I still can't believe that the man who created the wonderful world of Wonka could create a character so horrific!


Roald Dahl, along with illustrator Quentin Blake, created dozens of individually unique world's – James inside the giant peach, the underground labyrinth of Mr Fox, the book-lined rooms of Matlida... and of course the gypsy caravan of Danny (the champion of the world). This imagination made Dahl beloved by children, but as I think back, I'm wondering how his stories translate as an adult—something tells me they are still valid with age.

So... thanks, to some stamps, I'm inspired to go back and read the stories I read as a child– to discover the underlying themes that I have a hunch were there all along. I just hope I've outgrown the scary bits!

Best of Times at the Post Office

Through the miracle Etsy, I ordered som vintage cards and they made their way to me all the way from London! I loved the packaging about as much as the cards, including the great David Copperfield Stamp.

I did a little Googling, and last May, Royal Mail released a set of 10 stamps showcasing iconic Dickens characters, including Mr Bumble from Oliver Twist, Mr Micawber from David Copperfield and Captain Cuttle from Dombey and Son. Six of the stamps feature original illustrations adapted from Character Sketches from Charles Dickens, originally published around 1890.

2012 was the bicentennial of Dickens' birth, and several countries chose to honor the famous novelist including Ascension Island who released a set of four Christmas Carol stamps in December.

Dickens' has been on envelopes before however, his work appearing  on three previous stamp issues– Literary Anniversaries (1970), 150th Anniversary of A Christmas Carol, (Christmas 1993) and Musicals (Oliver! 2011).

Time to write more letters people—the world needs to share these stamps!

Julius: Your Pez-y Friend

Paul Frank's famous chacter Julius the monkey has been made into a Pez dispenser. The set of three was originally intended for release only in France, but they are now available in the Pez Collectors Store!

Monkeys? Pez? Paul Frank? Yes, yes, yes!

POW! from Emma Hack

Body Artist, Emma Hack is getting a bit of love today, as I stumbled across her Pop! Art Body Sculptures on both HiConsumption and Cool Material today.

I love, love, love these for their subject matter, Pop Art qualities and vibrancy. I love how the ladies become an extension of the background. Oh, and oops, did you notice these chics are naked?

But I already loved Emma Hack, I just didn't know it! She's the artist behind the much adored, amazing Gotye and Kimbra video for Somebody that I Used to Know. This sound was seriously on single song loop at my house for weeks!

 The Austrailian artist is most know for her work blending figures into patterned wallpapers, in a fashion that reminds me a bit of OKGo.

But before moving on, make sure you watch the behind the scenes video for one of her more recent projects, Body Crash.

Love Hack's work for the simplicity, organic beauty and originality.

Burger of the Week #92

People love taking pictures of their food. But sometimes it's more than just a picture. Check out these delightful burger creations.

See more from Thomas and Quentin at the Fat and Furious Burger.

Rise & Fall Then & Now

We headed to the East side of the state yesterday to visit the Detroit Institute of the Arts. The 127 year old building itself is worth the drive. But showing this month were two temporary exhibitions: Fabergé: The Rise & Fall and Motor City Muse: Detroit Photographs Then & Now.

The Fabergé exhibition traces the story behind the jewels of the legendary House of Fabergé. It includes 6 of the 50 Imperial Eggs made for the Tsar Nicholas II. Even though Fabergé fall along with the Russian aristocracy in 1918, their work, and eggs, maintain a certain mystique in popular culture.

Two floors down from the glitz and glam of Fabergé, Motor City Muse explored the evolving city of Detroit. As photographer Dave Jordano puts it, "This has all changed in my lifetime... It's not old history, it's current." Though small, the exhibit is timely and thought provoking. Mixing historic imagery with current imagery, editorial imagery with interpretive imagery lends to a variety of viewpoints. 

Image Bill Rauhauser
The reflection this leads to is one of somber grief and trepidation about the future—yet it intrigues. You only have a week left to see the glamorous works of Fabergé but you can catch the Detroit retrospect until June. 

Head in the Ground

Ostriches are intriguing animals, but when I look at these large birds, there's just one thing I envy about them more than their skinny legs. ... their ability to sleep anywhere. It doesn't get much cozier than this. 

*Image from iStockphoto

Well now, thanks to the Ostrich Pillow Project on Kickstarter, we too can get just as cozy. Sneak in a power nap anywhere with the portable micro environment from Studio KG.

Power naps can increase productivity up to 34%. See more about the benefits of ostrich pillows at youtube!

Tied up and Delicious

Back in June of 2011 on one of my very early Burger of the Weeks (#7), I showcased Ed Bing Lee's macrame burger which is part of his delectable series.

But it wasn't until recently that I actually saw this video which showcases Lee's knotting process. The artistic details and patience required in his work is both admirable and beautiful. I like how he compares his technique of combining multicolor knots to Seurot's pointillism.
The way Lee explores the design and concept of 3D form is intriguing in this overrun computer age. I love the idea of creating something simply with your hands. Maybe it's time to try a little macrame myself. I did make a macrame owl once as a teenager—if i recall it looked a little bit like one of these.

Want to try macrame yourself? Pinterest has lots of resources for beginning macrameers. 

Burger of the Week #91

As often as i get the urge to snack on a burger... i never get the urge to wear one. Apparently this isn't true for everyone.... Patty down with this burger cap from Modcloth.

Cheese it Up

There's a new affineur in town. The Cheese Lady has opened up shop in Grand Rapids on Fuller Ave.

The have over 90 variaties of cheese and you have the opportunity to sample most of them at the shop. It's like a lactate-filled, wine tasting, that gives you the chance to expand your cheese tastes risk free. No need to saddle yourself with a block without the satisfaction of knowing it is going to satisfy. And once you've decided, you can find recipes for how to experiment with your new cheeses on the cheese lady's website.

The staff is friendly and excited about their product. They'll graciously serve you up as many samples as you're curious about. My favorites on day one? The mango ginger stilton and the smoked gouda (shocker!).

You can also get your cheese fix at the Kalamazoo and Muskegon locations! Keep your palette curious by getting cheesy on facebook.

Ironic Authenticity

Every January I remove the items from my fridge and bulletin boards—purge to start fresh with a clean slate. Under the pinned layers I found this infographic from 2009 Paste Magazine.

Evolution of the Hipster, is a chronicle timeline of the hipster throughout the 2000s.

This graphic still brings me immense joy, and as I hesitantly removed it from my bulletin, I knew I must post it here, to share the joy and keep it nearby!

Bananas, Meet Your Match

The Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer is a gamechanger for the banana world. Finally we are able to slice an entire banana in one quick motion. 

Having tried one, I can assure you it's not yet a flawless invention. True, it makes perfectly sized banana discs, but I had to press each slice out of the slicer, and then I was left with a goopy utensil to clean. (I'm holding out hope that Model 572 will address these concerns). 

But what truly sold me, and thousands of other Amazon's users, was the consumer reviews. Since August, the Hutzler 571 has blown up in the cyper-world of fruit slicers–receiving dozens of reviews this weekend alone and landing itself in the Top 50 Best-selling Amazon items for the Home & Kitchen. I've even heard it's saving marriages.

I appreciate a well-written, snarky review. When I was first shown this collection of Amazon reviews, I was in a hysterical fit of tears going through them. The laughter that was brought forth that evening was legendary. But along with amusement came horrific embarrassment for the people who took it serious and tried to retort with an explanation. They should really start teaching sarcasm in public schools. 

Here's a few of my favorite Hutzler 571 observations:

• Once I figured out I had to peel the banana before using - it works much better.
• It's just a slicer. How the HELL am I supposed to get the peel off? ... About half the bananas I purchased were curved the wrong way!!! So even if I could find those elusive pre-peeled bananas, this slicer would only work on half of them. This should at least be packaged as a set, with two slicers curved in both directions, duh. What kind of moron would just assume all bananas are curved the same way
• Can someone please send me directions for this product? I couldn't find the slot for the batteries.
• I guess this product does what it promises, but I really feel like I should be able to control it remotely from my phone. It isn't even wifi enabled.
• Beware - description clearly says "Great for cereal" but that's bollocks. I tried it on a Weetabix and ended up with a right mess.

Anyhow, if you have a few spare hours, I suggest perusing the 1500+ reviews on the Hutzler 571. You'll be baffled and amused by the combination of witty, clever people and the dense buffoons that post on Amazon!

On Your Toes

These crazy heelless heels are popping up in all the magazines and blogs at all sorts of heights. Apparently it is possible to walk in these, I'm just not sure I'm ready. 

But I saw these crazy, clear, adorable, sockhop appropriate wedges on Modcloth last week. Talk about being fancy-free and on your toes! No one knows if it's an oxford, a heel or a wedge—now that's heelless... without the scary bits!

Burger of the Week #90

So paper bag lunches are out and eco-friendly carriers like the Bento box are in– majorly in. So in, in fact, there's a burger bento option. And what better way to cart my veggies back and forth to the office?